Gold and Amethyst
by godoferisol
Summary: Eridan just kept running from his problems, and by doing so, he ran right into someone he hoped he would never see again. Sollux didn't need to be a babysitter, but it looked like he didn't have a choice in the matter.
1. Chapter 1

_Just keep running._

He panted heavily as he ran. Each heavy, tired footfall sounded thunderous in the night, angry sobs and snarls fighting their way from his chest.

_Run far away, Eridan. No one loves you anyway._

Memories of Feferi's anger from just hours before still blazed in his mind. They couldn't have a relationship; they couldn't even have a fucking friendship.

—-

"Just get the fuck _out _of here, Eridan!"

_Whack._

Feferi had hit him square in the face with a heavy book that she had thrown in frustration, breaking his glasses— he didn't need them for anything but reading anyway— and causing purple blood to drip from his nose onto the white carpet of Feferi's home. This earned him a burning look of disgust.

"But, Fef—"

"I said _leave_!"

She pushed him out of the door and slammed it behind him. He heard her lock it tightly.

Eridan fished a flask of whiskey from a pocket in his jacket and took a deep swig, breathing shakily afterwards. He then turned to face the closed door.

"Well, fine, Feferi! No one needs you anyway!" He kicked her front door hard and ran in the opposite direction.

—-

And now he was here. Still running, hoping to get lost in this desolate forest. Maybe if he was lucky, he would fall and break a leg. No one would find him and he would die here.

But he just couldn't run anymore.

He threw himself down onto a log and let the tears he was holding back spill from his eyes. He retrieved his flask again and downed its contents relatively quickly, warm numbness seeping through his body.

"Who needs Feferi, anyway?" He mumbled, hiccupping softly between every few words. "The hemospectrum's fuckin' obsolete now. There's no fuckin' Empress anymore. The only reason any o' us that have money actually _have _it in the first place is 'cause o' our old lives!" He stood and let a choked sob ring into the sky. "_Fuck _her!"

—-

Sollux Captor ambled along the dimly lit sidewalks of the city, returning to his little apartment after visiting Karkat.

_Karkat's middle name should be, "Headache."_

Sollux squinted against the streetlights into the night, trying to fight the dull pain behind his eyes. Visiting Karkat always frustrated him a bit, but he still loved Karkat— platonically, of course. Karkat was his best friend.

He just got on Sollux's nerves.

—-

"Hey, douchebag, do you think you could step away from your computer for, oh, I don't know, five fucking seconds and pay some damn attention to your best friend?" Karkat paused for a second, then threw a pillow at Sollux. "_Hello_?"

"KK, stop. I've got to finish these codes so I can get paid. I've got to put food on the table somehow." Sollux stood, looking at Karkat's short, slightly plump figure. He himself stood almost a foot taller than Karkat, and was very skinny and lanky. Almost unhealthily thin, really, due to the fact that he would get so wrapped up in coding that he would forget to eat or sleep, sometimes for days on end. "I don't have ridiculous amounts of money like your windy derp of a boyfriend does."

_Ow._

Sollux's remark earned him a rather forceful punch to the gut.

"Egbert isn't a derp, jerkass." Karkat waited and analyzed what Sollux had said, a bright red blush creeping to his face. "John isn't my boyfriend, either!"

"Your blush is telling me otherwise— oof! Stop punching me!"

—-

Sollux rubbed the sore part of his stomach gingerly as he walked. Karkat punched hard.

A sharp sob and heavy footsteps caught Sollux's attention. Someone was running.

"Hey," he bellowed, breaking into a run to tail whoever it was. "Hey! Where are you going?"

The figure kept running deep into the woods. When he— Sollux had deduced that it was a male— had stopped running, Sollux took shelter behind a tree. He heard a flask crack open and the sound of needy gulping followed it. Whoever this was had a lot on his mind.

Sollux peeked around his tree to try and get a better look at who it was that he tailed. The figure was only a silhouette, but this man was obviously muscular and did some strength training. He looked to be a few inches shorter than Sollux. He appeared to be a troll as well, since Sollux could see what appeared to be horns; as for their shape, he couldn't quite make that part out. He looked closer at the other man's head. Were those fins?

_Wait…_

Sollux heard the other man's voice and his eyes widened. Even through slurring and hiccups, he could pick out that distinctive stutter over "w" and "v" sounds.

That obvious drawl.

_Ampora._

—-

Eridan shook the last few drops of whiskey from his flask onto his pointed purple tongue, then tossed it away in frustration. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to see all those pictures of himself and Feferi together, strained smiles on both of their faces that Eridan had chosen to ignore on blatant display. Eridan had secretly thought that their friendship wouldn't work out a second time. He just wasn't prepared for the violent ending to it.

_Snap._

Eridan looked up with wide eyes and froze like a deer in headlights. "Who's there?"

Sollux's breath stilled. Shit, this was inconvenient. He took a tiny flashlight from his pocket and shone it near Eridan.

"Oh, it's _you_. Long time, no see, I guess. Listen, if you could maybe hold off on the antagonizin' for tonight, that'd be great."

Sollux's brows lifted in surprise. Was Eridan being… _civil_? Sollux didn't particularly feel like making problems for himself either. Instead he turned his attention to Eridan's bleeding, swollen nose. He sat next to him and peered closely at the injury.

"What the hell happened to you, Ampora?"

Eridan glared at Sollux through eyes clouded with tears and strong whiskey. Sollux could smell it on him just sitting beside him.

"What makes you think I trust you enough to tell you?"

"Eridan, please, can we not do this tonight?" Sollux propped his left elbow on his knee and rested his head against his fingertips. "I didn't know it was such a crime to show a little concern for s—"

"Fef hit me."

Sollux fell into a stunned silence. Feferi Peixes? Sollux's ex-girlfriend, Eridan's ex-moirail? That Feferi? All he could choke out in response was a whispered, "What?"

"Fef threw a tome at me. Broke my glasses an' gave me a splittin' headache."

Sollux listened carefully to how Eridan was speaking. His voice sounded nasally. "I'm gonna shine this in your face for a sec, close your eyes." Sollux examined the bridge of Eridan's nose and made a small noise. It was crooked and blood was dripping from it at an alarming rate. He reached out to brush his fingers gently against it. "Does it hurt bad when I—"

Eridan hissed sharply and pulled back from Sollux's touch.

"Okay, okay. Eridan, it's probably broken."

"Fuck. Wouldn't it be just my luck? Lose my only friend and have her break my fuckin' nose all in the same night."

"How long has it been bleeding, Eridan?"

His silence gave Sollux a bad feeling. He slid an arm around Eridan tentatively and dragged him up.

"I'm taking you to the fucking emergency room."

"Sol, it ain't that bad—"

"If you can't even tell me how long it's been bleeding, it's bad enough to require medical attention! Fuck, Eridan, why do you always have to make things so difficult?"

Sollux wondered briefly why he was showing concern for this haughty asshole, but his thoughts were interrupted when Eridan dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"_Shit_! Eridan? _Eridan_! Wake up, asshole! Don't you fucking die on me or some shit!"

He lifted Eridan onto his shoulders and ran as quickly as he could out of the forest. He saw a taxi not long after reaching the streets of the city and tried to flag it down, but to no avail. The driver was probably a Dersite.

"Fuck this shit, it's easier to walk!" Sollux shifted Eridan's body on his back and a worried chill spread through him as he felt his blood trickle down his neck. He shouldn't be bleeding this much…

—-

Eridan awoke in a bed some time later, finding himself attached to tubing from which a violet liquid was dripping into his arm. From there, he made two observations; his nose was sore as hell, and he wasn't alone.

Sollux glared at him from a chair a few feet away.

"Next time, tell me when you're about to pass out on me, asshole. Maybe you shouldn't have drank so fucking much whiskey when you were, oh, I don't know, bleeding profusely and dehydrated?

"Anyway, just count yourself lucky other purplebloods actually donated blood. Count yourself lucky I brought you here. Just count yourself lucky, alright?"

Eridan's brows lifted reflexively.

_Ow, wait, shit, don't do that._

"From the sound o' it, I might almost think you gave a fuck about me, Sol." He didn't use a particularly nasty tone, just one of confusion.

"Of course that isn't the case! I just couldn't let you die there, that's all. Don't need that on my conscience."

"Figured as much."

"And I only stayed for the same reason, so don't get any ideas, Ampora!"

"What the hell do you take me for, Captor?" The anger in Eridan's voice made Sollux jump a bit. "You know, contrary to popular belief, I'm no longer a fuckin' quadrant-whore, so I wish people would just drop the assumption that all I'm lookin' for is to get laid! That's not who I am, okay? There's more to me than that! So get that through your thick fuckin' skull right off the bat." Eridan propped himself against the pillow on his bed with a sour pout on his face. "I know all I'll ever be is alone anyway, so it doesn't even matter. I don't have a single friend in this damn world."

"Well, that's really sort of your own fault," Sollux popped off before he could stop himself. Shit.

Eridan's expression changed from anger to remorse. "Don't you think I fuckin' know that? Don't you think I _know _I've burned all my bridges? That I've used up all my second chances for any o' those who would give 'em to me? Just… just leave me alone, alright?"

He flipped onto his side and pulled his blanket over his head, not wanting to look at the other troll anymore.

Sollux glanced at the floor, honey-gold eyes filling with shame behind his red-and-blue glasses. Then he walked nearer to Eridan, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Hey, I'm sure it's not as bad as all that," he tried to comfort him. "I think you're overreacting a bit, Eridan. I'm sure there's… _someone _out there who's willing to give you another chance."

He was answered with a mournful wail. Shit, wrong thing to say. This wasn't working well at all.

"_Eridan, stop_!" Sollux rubbed his temples in frustration. "Stop crying. You're not gonna win anyone over that way."

"What if I ain't _tryin' _anymore, Sol? Fef was my only fuckin' friend! The only one in the whole damn world who could even halfway tolerate me."

"Ed, listen to yourself. Don't you think you've got it wrong? I mean, if I wasn't tolerating you, would I be here talking to you? If I wasn't your friend, would I have carried you all the fucking way here on my back? Or spent the night to make sure you were okay? I think you've got one more friend than you realize. So stop crying, it's pathetic."

Eridan wiped at his eyes gingerly.

"They straightened your nose, by the way. Whatever book Feferi threw, it must have been pretty heavy. They also somehow managed to stem the bleeding— don't ask how they managed to pull that one off—"

"Sol."

Sollux paused his rambling to glance down at Eridan.

"Were you bein' serious?"

"About what?"

"About… about bein' my friend. I thought you loathed me."

Sollux glanced out of the window at the sunrise over the city and put his hands into his pockets. "Time changes people, Eridan. Yes, I'm willing to put up with you enough to be your friend, but if you get all clingy, I swear I'll sever these ties so fast, it'll make your fucking head spin."

"I won't, okay? I ain't a wriggler; I don't need no one to hold my fuckin' hand."

"After last night, I'm not so sure."

"_I don't_!" Eridan's voice took on an angry tone that made Sollux turn to face him again. Whatever shreds of pride he had left seemed to be very sensitive. "Things like last night don't usually happen!"

"You'd be in the hospital a lot more often if they did." Sollux hesitated. "How often do you drink?"

"I'm not quite sure," he mumbled. "I've been drinkin' more as o' late. Mostly 'cause it helped me to tune out that Fef's an' my friendship was fallin' apart."

"That's… not good, Eridan."

"I know." Eridan flipped back over to face Sollux, who made a note that the purple bag of blood draining into his arm was nearly empty.

"I'm slightly concerned. That flask from last night was full, wasn't it?"

"Not quite." Eridan waited. "Why are you so concerned, anyway? You call yourself my friend, but how do I know you're not just messin' with me? Everyone seems to love playin' headgames with Eridan 'Gullible Quadrant-whore' Ampora."

"I just told you: would I have stayed if I was just messing with you?"

"No," Eridan replied sheepishly.

"Exactly."

Sollux could understand why Eridan was so paranoid, though. Everyone he had ever come into contact with had antagonized or abandoned him, and Sollux had been part of that number. It had sent Eridan spiraling down a path of angry, crazed nihilism. He had apparently mellowed out over time— although Sollux wasn't sure how much of that was the influence of booze— and it was obvious that he was feeling honest remorse over his choices. Eridan needed a friend, and by being there for him last night, Sollux had inadvertently volunteered himself for the job.

Even though he needed another commitment like he needed a hole in the head.

A Prospitian nurse ambled into the room to check Eridan's IV.

"Hold still, dear."

She removed the tube from his arm and covered the small hole it left with gauze and tape. Then she took the empty bag from the room.

"So, um," Sollux started, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen. He began scrawling furiously. "This is my cell phone. Call or text if you need anything, just not every five minutes."

Eridan took the paper when it was handed to him with a look of shock on his face. He continued staring wide-eyed at Sollux as he shuffled out of the room, hands once again shoved in his pockets.


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks went by without Sollux hearing anything significant from Eridan. Perhaps a text here or there, but usually it was only some kind of greeting. Occasionally, Sollux would be able to hold a short conversation with Eridan. When Sollux saw that Eridan still used his typing quirk, he had to fight a snort; after all, he had no room to laugh. He still used his own.

Sollux didn't exactly feel guilty about not paying that much attention to Eridan. He was more preoccupied with work than anything else. Now that John was back from one of his "heir-ly trips," as he had dubbed them, Karkat was spending more time with him than with Sollux.

_Whatever. It's Karkat's life._

Sollux didn't worry too much when he didn't hear from Eridan for a few days, either. Until he received a rather disturbing text at around one in the morning while he was working.

_**sol i catn do tihs anmyore**_

A chill spread throughout Sollux's body. Do what? And why was Eridan spelling like he was drunk? His phone made another noise before he could type a reply.

_**it hurst to brethe**_

What was he talking about?

_**eriidan, where the hell are you?**_

_**i dot n knoww**_

That wasn't a good sign.

_**are you out2iide 2omewhere?**_

_**i thnik so**_

It was a start.

_**ed, ii'm comiing two fiind you. don't go anywhere.**_

Sollux grabbed his car keys with a scowl etched deeply into his face. He couldn't believe this. What had Eridan gotten himself into now?

He didn't have to drive for long before he found Eridan, sitting in a crumpled heap beneath a high, arched stone bridge. Sollux stepped out of his car and slammed the door, storming over to him.

"How come both times I've found you, you've been drinking and crying? Please enlighten me, as I'm fucking curious as all hell. And why do you look like you've been thrown in traffic?"

Eridan let out a tiny whimper in response. He took in a shaky breath, but it was just drowned out by more sobs.

"Wait. Don't tell me. Don't _fucking _tell me. You were going to jump off this bridge, weren't you?"

Eridan shook his head. "Was thinkin' about it, though."

Sollux dragged Eridan up by the collar of his shirt, looking him eye to rage-filled eye and baring his teeth.

"What the _hell _did I tell you to do, Eridan? I told you to call me if you needed anything! This constitutes as you needing something!"

"I—" He was cut off by a tearful hiccup. "I did, though. I asked for your help."

"Yeah, you're lucky I was fucking _awake_! What am I supposed to do with you now, because I sure as hell am _not _leaving you alone like this. Come on, in the car. We'll talk about this once I get you somewhere warm."

Sollux helped Eridan into the passenger seat, then crossed over to the driver's seat, pausing for a moment before getting in. In the light of his car, Sollux could see that Eridan truly looked like a wreck. There were heavy circles under his puffy, bloodshot eyes and his hair was tangled, probably from him pulling at it while crying or something. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Just… take a deep breath, Eridan," he muttered as he got in. "I'm not going to let you do anything stupid."

Eridan obliged, whimpering a bit as Sollux drove to his apartment building. They didn't say much during the short ride; Sollux was furious and Eridan was just trying to stop the waterworks. When they reached his building, Sollux got out and helped Eridan out of the car. He fell straight to his knees.

"Oh, for crying— _fine_," Sollux sighed. He knelt down beside Eridan and slid one arm beneath his legs and the other around his shoulders, lifting him up bridal-style to carry him up the stairs. Eridan's eyelids drooped and eventually closed, his breathing slowing from shaky, ragged sobs to gentle snoring. Sollux, in spite of his anger, thought the scenario was rather cute, and let a small smile form on his face.

"You're just a damn princess, aren't you," he whispered softly. He set Eridan down on his couch and then sat down himself, pulling his head into his lap and playing with his hair. Sollux admittedly found this rather nice; it was soothing to his newest friend and to himself as well. "Yes, you're a sad, lonely princess. All you want is a friend, and that's the only thing you never got.

"You know," Sollux muttered, starting on a tangent, "I always sort of _envied _you. You always seemed to have it all: money, reputation, power… But now I'm starting to see that maybe we aren't so different after all. I mean, sure, I've got Karkat, but lately he's been so preoccupied with Egbert that he hasn't even bothered to give me the time of day." He chuckled weakly. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with Karkat, y'know? He just pisses me off so badly sometimes that I don't know if I should yell back at him or be the more mature troll and stay quiet."

Sollux continued babbling to Eridan's sleeping figure, spilling everything that he couldn't tell Karkat, everything his computers wouldn't understand. It felt good to just be able to talk about little things to someone and not be judged. He realized how much he truly needed a figure like that in his life, instead of someone who was constantly ripping into him. Sollux loved Karkat like a best friend and a brother, but nothing more.

"S-Sol…"

Sollux looked down at the other troll. Was Eridan dreaming about him?

"Don't leave, please," he muttered in his sleep, "I have to tell you… come back…"

Definitely dreaming about him. But what about? And tell him what?

"Relax, you big baby, I'm not going anywhere." Sollux knew Eridan probably couldn't hear him, but he talked to him anyway. "You know, this is the second time I've saved your life, you raving douche. So you had better be grateful."

Eridan flipped onto his side and clung to Sollux's shirt with both of his hands, burying his face into his stomach. Sollux glared at him briefly, about to shove him away, but his look softened, and instead he patted Eridan's head gently.

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay. You're going to be just fine."

Eridan whimpered quietly and snuggled closer to him. Sollux rolled his eyes a bit when he began snoring again, a small smile on his face. Snoring was better than crying, at least.

"Good talk." He leaned over Eridan and pressed his hand against his back, hugging him close. Sollux was glad to just have someone nearby— even if that someone was Eridan Ampora. "Yeah. Eridan, you've got something to live for, I promise. So do me a favor and put the booze down. There's more to life than alcohol, and if that's the only thing that's making you hang on, then… I'm sorry. No one should have to feel that empty, not even you."

_Especially not you._

Sollux let his own eyes slide closed as he hunched over Eridan, falling into an unrestful slumber.

—-

In his dream, Sollux was floating in an empty void, lacking any emotion or perception of time and space. He heard mumbling from afar in a very distinct accent. His brain pieced words together; "alone," "abandon," "die." Each word was like a knife that was being plunged into his heart. He watched grim scenes take place behind his eyes, hearing frantic shrieking echo off of the walls of his mind and seeing violet blood spattered everywhere. The images swirled in his head as he continued listening to the murmured sounds.

One word was stuck in his during the entire dream; it was painted in the blood on the canvas that the void had created multiple times, it rang in his ears and was carved into his heart.

_Eridan._


	3. Chapter 3

Eridan awoke in the morning with his face pressed into Sollux's abdominal muscles— they were surprisingly prominent— and his fingers entwined in the fabric of Sollux's shirt. He didn't know what to make of this, since his mind was quite clouded and his recollection of last night was almost nonexistent. He was confused and wasn't sure what to do— should he push away, or perhaps snuggle closer? Stay where he was and breathe as little as possible? He opted for the last choice, only now becoming aware of Sollux's hand on his back.

"How did I even _get _here?" He whispered almost inaudibly to himself. The hangover he had was giving him a splitting headache, and he could feel the room spinning around him. This alone was enough to make him cling to Sollux tighter and groan in exasperation. So much for his "not moving, not breathing" idea. That was stupid anyway.

"You only brought the hangover on yourself, Eridan."

Eridan jumped slightly when he heard Sollux speak. A deep purple blush burned on his cheeks and he brought his face away from Sollux's body, nearly falling backward off of the couch.

Sollux hands flew to catch him and drag him back up. "Whoa, take it easy! You're okay, Eridan."

"What am I even doin' here?" Eridan knew the hangover was his fault, but he didn't remember much besides drinking and being outside.

"Well," Sollux drawled, "you texted me at one in the morning saying that it hurt to breathe and you didn't know where you were. I came out and found you under a fucking bridge that you were thinking about jumping off of. I put you in my car because I refused to leave you like that. You fell asleep while I was carrying you up the stairs and here we are."

Eridan's scowl grew deeper and deeper as Sollux recounted the night's events. God, he felt stupid. Sollux trailed off when he noticed Eridan's pained expression.

"You okay?"

"No, Sol, I'm a fuckin' _idiot_. What was I possibly _thinkin'_? I thought I had beaten thoughts like that." He rested his head against Sollux's lap and covered his face with one long-nailed hand.

"C'mon, Ed, it's not that bad," Sollux murmured. "We all make mistakes— wait. You mean you've been through something like this before?"

"Yeah, an' it ain't somethin' I'm exactly proud of, either."

"You've just hit a low point in your life right now, Eridan," Sollux explained. "You'll get better. You have to."

"I really don't think I will. I don't feel like there's any hope left for me."

Sollux looked down at Eridan, glaring deeply into his eyes, searching for any sign at all that his sorrow and self-loathing hadn't completely taken over him. When he found none, his brows knit together in concern. "Eridan…"

"What? Havin' a hard time facin' the truth, Sol? Don't you see that nothin's ever gonna get better for me? No one's ever been able to stand me, no one ever wants to be around me, no one cares whether I live or die—"

"_I _do! You selfish asshole, _I _care!" Sollux dragged him up by the collar of the shirt so that he was practically screaming in his face. "I wouldn't have tracked you down at one in the fucking morning or brought you here to make sure you didn't do something stupid if I didn't give a shit whether you lived or died! _Would you open your fucking eyes, Ampora_? I've saved your damn life _twice _now, how can you not think at least _one _person cares about you?"

Eridan looked away from Sollux's eyes in shame.

"Look at me, Eridan, _please_," Sollux begged, his tone softening considerably. He didn't. "Eridan, I'm _worried _about you. You just seem to be getting worse with every passing day. Why can't you see that, contrary to what you believe, _someone _out there cares about you?"

Eridan didn't reply.

"_Answer. Me_."

He just closed his eyes. This was frustrating Sollux to the point of tears.

"Why won't you _speak_?"

"Because I don't know how to respond to what you're askin' me."

At least he got some kind of answer out of Eridan.

"I want to keep an eye on you, Ed. I'm not going to let you get this low ever again. I'll fucking lock you in my house with me if I have to. We will play videogames until our think pans fucking turn into mush. I will make sure you're focused on other things."

"Why do you care so much, Sol?"

_This again?_

"Because you're my friend. That's why. Friends look out for each other."

Eridan felt an overwhelming pang of guilt in his chest. He flung his arms around Sollux's neck and dragged himself up to press his face into his shoulder, mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Sollux blushed a bit at the sudden embrace, thankful that Eridan could no longer see him. He wrapped his own arms around the other troll awkwardly and patted his back. "I know. I know you are," he whispered back.

"Could you take me home?"

"Only if you swear you'll call or text if you start feeling this badly again."

"I promise."

"Good. And one more thing: promise me you'll stop drinking so much."

"I'll try."

"_Promise_. _Me_. _Eridan_." Sollux was dead serious, and Eridan could tell, even though he couldn't see his face.

"Alright, I… I promise."

"Good," Sollux repeated firmly. He pressed Eridan's body to him briefly, then unwrapped his arms from around him. Eridan shifted so that he was sitting up next to Sollux, covering his face so that he couldn't see the violet blush that was once again burning on his cheeks. "C'mon, let's get you home. You'll have to give me directions, because I don't know where you're living now."

Eridan peered at him through his fingers. "It ain't too far from here. Let me wake up a bit first an' then we'll go."

Sollux glanced at Eridan, getting a truly good look at him for the first time. His hair was longer now, as were his horns. He actually looked rather handsome, as much as Sollux hated to admit it. Despite his disheveled hair, wrinkled clothing, and puffy, bloodshot eyes, Sollux was still finding him very attractive.

And this concerned him.

—-

Eridan had directed Sollux to his own home without much of a hitch. When Sollux saw it, he gaped, awestruck. It looked like something out of a human fairytale; a winding cobblestone path lined with flowers leading up to a two-story white-brick house with large windows, a couple of balconies, and elegant-looking front doors. Sollux let out a low whistle, catching a scent like a mixture of flowers and sea breeze; the latter was probably because the ocean was nearby.

"Ed, you _live _here?"

"Yep. Do you want to come in?"

"Nah, I've actually got work to do, but maybe some other time."

"Right," Eridan whispered, looking slightly dejected. But he quickly perked back up. "Well, anyway, thanks for everythin'. I'll text you later."

Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Sollux's cheek. They both blushed deeply and Eridan practically jumped out of Sollux's car and sprinted inside.

Sollux's hand slowly rose to his face, his eyes fixed on Eridan's front door and his fingers lightly skirting over the area where Eridan had kissed him. He still felt his lips there as he was driving home, he had butterflies in his stomach for the rest of the day, and could barely concentrate on work because his thoughts kept migrating back to Eridan. Sollux found himself checking his phone every five minutes to see if he had texted him, and felt a slight twinge of disappointment whenever he saw that his inbox was empty. He felt like an adolescent with a major crush again, which made him laugh a little bit at himself.

—-

After Eridan ran inside, he stood there with his back pressed against the door, heart pounding and mind racing. Was that too forward of him, did it upset Sollux? He waded through the day with Sollux on the edges of his mind and a coffee cup firmly attached to one hand. If he couldn't drink alcohol, he would drink coffee, if only to help with the hangover. He tried to sketch a picture of his garden, but every drawing turned out to be Sollux's face. He didn't crumple the papers— he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Later in the evening, Eridan decided to finally call Sollux instead of just texting him.

The phone rang all of one time before Sollux answered with a slightly overenthusiastic, "Hey!"

"Hey, Sol. Listen, uh… Sorry about earlier."

"Hm? Oh, wait, you mean kissing me? Oh, don't worry about that, okay? I'm not upset."

"You're not?"

"Nope. Why would I even have reason to be? You were just thanking me."

"Yeah. About that. Could we maybe… meet somewhere for some coffee or somethin'? I've got some things I want to discuss with you."

"Yeah, sure, we can talk. There's something I need to tell you too."

Eridan swallowed. "Cool, yeah. So how does next week sound?"

"Wednesday morning work for you?"

"Yeah, Wednesday mornin's perfect."

"Great."

Eridan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled for the first time since Feferi had broken his nose.

"Hey, Ed?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for calling me."

"You're welcome, but… why?"

"I was just worrying about you. I've been doing that a lot today."

"Oh. Well, I'm okay."

"And sober?"

"Jittery, but yeah. Sober too."

"Jittery?"

"I downed about two pots o' coffee today because I was exhausted an' hung over."

"Jittery makes sense now. I would say sleep, but you're talking at fucking hyperspeed so something tells me that isn't in your near future."

"Yeah. Can you talk for a little longer?"

"I guess these codes can wait an hour or so."

Sollux and Eridan talked about little, stupid things on the phone for well over three hours, trying to find out what the other liked now. Eridan discovered that they had some similar tastes in music and videogames. Sollux found out that Eridan was a true science enthusiast now, having passions for chemistry, biology, and botany. He even kept a garden, not just for study, but also due to his new love of beauty. They mostly talked about videogames and music, though, and Sollux realized that when Eridan was comfortable— not to mention hyper— he could be rather chatty.

"So," Sollux started, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes after a witty remark Eridan had made, "I'll see you next week?"

"Yep. Café on the corner."

"It's a date. Goodnight, Eridan."

"G-g'night, Sol."

Eridan's cheeks were flushed as he went to take a quick shower before bed. A date? Did he mean that? As Eridan changed into his nicest pajamas— silken lavender ones— and laid back on his bed, a large grin spread across his face.

"Damn right, it's a date," he mumbled, switching off the light on the end table adjacent to his bed and feeling giddier than he had in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next week, Eridan and Sollux spoke every night, mostly just talking about videogames or little things like that. They would be on the phone for hours at a time, laughing hysterically at stupid in-jokes. One night, when one of Sollux's neighbors was threatening to report him, they laughed until they could hardly breathe.

Eridan found himself acting differently whenever he was talking to Sollux. He was always smiling, even when Sollux would tease him about something, and was constantly fiddling with his scarf, his shirt, or his fingers. It wasn't like how it used to be between them, not at all.

Talking to Sollux the night before what both of them had secretly dubbed, "the date"— although neither told the other— Eridan found himself very tense and nervous, and although he couldn't hear it in his voice, Sollux shared his demeanor.

_What if I ruin everything?_

_What if he doesn't like me like that?_

_What if he doesn't understand?_

These were merely some of the questions that were racing through both of their minds at top speed as they spoke.

"So, Eridan, have you been keeping the other half of your promise?"

"Haven't had a drop since the night before I made it."

"Hey, I'm proud of you!" Sollux sincerely was proud of Eridan. His sobriety proved that he was taking this whole friendship thing seriously.

Eridan chuckled weakly. "Thanks, I guess. I ain't much to be proud o', but, hey, if that's what you're feelin', then great."

"Are you kidding? I will make you order the fanciest fucking thing at that café tomorrow so you can celebrate."

"As if I wasn't gonna already?"

"Oh, right, I forgot," Sollux snorted, putting on a bad rendition of Eridan's accent and stutter while heightening his voice slightly— his had become deeper than Eridan's, although not by too much. "I'm Eridan fuckin' Ampora an' everythin' I buy has to be expensive an' fancy or else it ain't good enough for me."

Eridan threw his head back and laughed into his phone. Sollux adored his genuine laugh and wished he could get the chance to hear it more often; it was rather high-pitched for his voice, with cute snorts slipping out every so often.

"'Ey, that ain't completely true!"

"Like hell it's not!"

"Now I'll order the cheapest, plainest thing they have an' tell them to make it extra cheap an' plain."

"Right," Sollux laughed, glancing at the clock on his computer. "Listen, it's kind of three in the morning, so I'm going to go to bed."

"Ah, you're right. Me too."

"See you tomorrow, Princess Eridan. Make sure you wear something pretty."

"I'm gonna hit you," Eridan chortled.

"Kinky. Do you always flirt with your friends like this?"

"Oh, shut up, you know I wasn't flirtin' with you."

"Nah, you'd be a lot less subtle."

"Wow, could you be any more o' a douchebag?"

"I like you, so you're a special case."

"Which means?"

"Yes, I can."

"Goodnight, you idiot."

"Night, Princess."

Sollux hung up and let a giddy, nervous chuckle escape his throat. "Fuck," he murmured, running a slightly damp hand through his hair. The only one who had been flirting was him, and he hadn't even realized it. He was sure Eridan had picked up on it as well. This made him even more nervous about tomorrow, and he imagined quite a few possible scenarios in him mind. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep right in front of his computer with the best one playing like a movie behind his eyes.

—-

Eridan's eyes fluttered open at around ten-thirty the next morning. He sat up in bed groggily before it clicked; he was running late!

He jumped out of bed, hopping into the shower and quickly yet thoroughly cleaning himself. He meticulously styled his hair and took out a pair of leather pants, a tight black shirt, and a studded, black leather jacket. Sollux had told him to wear something nice, after all. He pulled on a pair of heavy boots, grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, and sent Sollux a text while locking the door.

_**you awwake**_

Eridan pulled on a black helmet with purple Aquarius signs on it and zipped his jacket. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

_**headed out the door a2 we 2peak.**_

_**good ill be there soon**_

He climbed onto his motorcycle— he preferred it to his car, in all honesty— and it started with a roar.

—-

Sollux reached the café before Eridan. He leaned against his car with his arms crossed and tapped his foot impatiently, expecting to see a limousine or something.

When Eridan pulled in, dressed in leather on his motorcycle, Sollux's arms and jaw both dropped. He also couldn't help but notice how good Eridan looked in leather.

Eridan pushed the kickstand down and took his helmet off, tucking it under one arm as he fixed his hair a bit with his other hand. He saw Sollux gaping at him from across the lot and he flashed a sly grin at him before walking over to him, hips swaying ever-so-slightly and his arms swinging as if to the beat of a song only he could hear.

Sollux thought he looked like some kind of movie star or someone fresh off of Kanaya's runway.

"You look a bit surprised," Eridan called, trying to sound unassuming— but Sollux could hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"I was expecting a suit and a limo, not leather and a motorcycle," he yelled back, fighting a smile and losing. "I kind of like it, actually."

Eridan unzipped his jacket, revealing his shirt to Sollux. He scanned his body before he could stop himself, his eyes coming to rest on Eridan's toned stomach muscles.

_Mmm, that's nice._

Eridan's voice snapped his attention back. "I want coffee, though, so can we go inside?"

—-

They ordered what they wanted and sat down outside again, where it was warm and not as crowded; they could feel the humans staring them down while they were inside. They decided that sitting here would be as good a time to talk as any— that is, if Sollux could stop ogling Eridan. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Um, so," Sollux stammered, "about why we're here."

"Mhm?" Eridan saw a yellow blush blossom on the other troll's face and felt his own cheeks begin to burn as well.

"Well, a lot of things have changed between us, you know? We used to think that we despised each other, but I don't really think that was the case, and I don't think it's like that anymore either. Shit, this sounds so corny, I'm stupid—"

"You want to be more than just friends," Eridan finished, his own voice trembling. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"Like… matesprits? Do you _actually _pity me, Sol?"

Sollux winced. "I'm not really sure if I'd call it 'pity.' I like you. A lot. But I don't know if I'd say I pity you. It doesn't seem accurate."

Eridan looked at Sollux blankly, then a smile spread across his face.

"What, Ed? What's funny?"

"Been hangin' around humans or Kar lately?"

"Oh, god, it sounds like what Karkat's going through with Egbert, doesn't it?"

"What was the term that the humans use for them?"

"Boyfriends."

"Yeah, that," Eridan chuckled, staring into his coffee and taking a sip.

"So," Sollux drawled.

"So?"

"Will you?"

"I'll think about it," he replied coyly, giving Sollux a flustered smile. He returned it. "Don't know much about it myself, but I think what we do is cuddle while watchin' shitty movies an' kiss a lot."

"There's more to it than that!" Sollux's small smile turned into a suggestive grin.

"Wha— wait. _Oh_." Eridan's cheeks darkened even further.

"And we can play videogames until we pass out and joke about stupid shit and—"

"Are you assumin' I already said yes?"

"I'm assuming you said maybe, which is close to yes."

"Sol, human concepts aren't somethin' I'm familiar with. Not from a relationship standpoint." His expression suddenly became very serious. "I'm sorry, but I can't say yes right now. Give me a couple o' days to think about it."

"But you will… think about it, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll call you later tonight."

"Hopin' I'll have an answer for you by then?"

"Just a little bit."

"Sol, how do I know that you won't be just like the others?"

Sollux blinked a couple of times. "What do you mean," he asked quietly, "'just like the others?'"

"How do I know you ain't just leadin' me on to break me later? How do I know you won't just abandon me like the rest o' them? Please, give me _two _days, Sol. Two days is _all _I need."

Sollux looked at Eridan from across the table. He looked genuinely distressed, and it hurt to see him in that state, especially knowing he was the cause. "Take as much time as you need. I'm sorry."

Eridan reached across to pat Sollux's hand gently. He marvelled at how soft his skin felt.

"Don't be sorry. It's really okay. I just need a little time. I don't want us jumpin' into somethin' an' endin' up hurt. I'm sure that we've both suffered enough hurt for any amount o' lifetimes."

Sollux nodded in agreement, and Eridan took this as a cue to keep talking.

"I really do like you, Sol. That was what I wanted to tell you, an' I'm honestly flattered you feel the same about me. Since I'm goin' away for two days—"

"You're going away?"

"Yes, to add to my botanical journals. Why?"

"I'll just be… worried about you."

"Don't be. I'll be back, I swear."

"When are you leaving?"

"Right after this," Eridan replied nonchalantly, taking another gulp of his coffee.

"Oh. May I see something?"

"Yeah, sure, what is—" Eridan trailed off as he looked up. Sollux's face was just centimeters away from his own over the table. Eridan had no time to wonder what was going on before their lips connected.

Eridan's lips were even softer than his hands, and tasted of his sweet caramel coffee. Sollux closed his eyes, relishing the surprised twitch that Eridan's mouth made beneath his. He brought a hand across the table to cup the purple-blooded man's face and pushed against his lips. Sollux heard him make a small noise and smiled against him before pulling away, their lips making a soft noise as they came apart. He sat back down, breathless and giddy, with a pounding heart.

Eridan trembled and took several shallow breaths as Sollux sat back down. He found his own mouth curving into another flustered smile.

"Payback, Eridan," Sollux chuckled.

"I deserved that one. But can I go now?"

"Yep, you can go. Tell me where to meet you for when you get back."

"_Sol_," Eridan argued.

"_Eri_," Sollux mock-whined in the same tone.

"Fine. Outside o' here on Friday night."

"I expect you here."

Eridan grinned. "Don't worry. I'll be here."

When they finished their coffee, Sollux insisted that Eridan at least hugged him goodbye— it ended up being a cute side-hug, complete with hair-ruffling— and they parted ways. While they both had stoic expressions, inside, they were reeling and thinking the same thing: it was going to be a long two days.


	5. Chapter 5

Sollux stared blankly at his phone, waiting for a text or a call that would never come. He couldn't get the thought of Eridan out of his mind; the way he smiled, the way he pouted, the way he laughed, the way his hips swayed when he walked. Sollux was a wreck and he knew it. He asked himself why he was so obsessed with that stupid violet-blooded troll, but he couldn't provide himself with an acceptable answer.

He just knew that he was beautiful and deserved to laugh more than he did. He thought about what he told Eridan yesterday, that he didn't believe they had ever truly hated one another, and it took until they had both mellowed considerably for them to see it. He had really only been speaking for himself, but when Eridan didn't protest, it was the only answer he needed.

And if he was being perfectly honest with himself, he had missed that haughty douche a lot.

He decided to try to get some more work done and attempted to force himself to think of nothing but coding.

_The way Eridan looked in those leather pants, though. Did you __**see **__his ass? Holy __**fuck**__._

He shook his head hard.

_Codes, Sollux. Focus on work._

_His body could be your fucking __**playground**__, Captor._

What was work? Not important right now, that was for sure. He decided to shower to clear his head.

He turned the water on and ran his hands through his hair before undressing at a breakneck pace. He gasped when he got in the shower, feeling the hot water hit his skin like little bullets, then closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the stream of water soak his hair. He tried keeping his mind blank, but it was a impossible feat; behind his eyes, he saw Eridan's sculpted body, dripping wet with hot water as well.

_His fingers skirted gently over his heated skin and followed the water droplets down until his hands reached his thighs. His right hand moved inward to cup his dick and his purple tongue flicked out to catch the droplets of water on his lips as he teased and pulled, slowly at first. Small, low noises of pleasure escaped his throat._

Sollux mimicked the actions of the Eridan from his fantasy, low grunts forcing their way from his chest. His thumb teased the head of his cock and he began to pump faster, grunting louder as his fantasy's Eridan's cries got higher in pitch.

_Eridan's hips jerked forward as he worked himself faster, swears spilling from his lips between the high-pitched moans he was letting out. Pre-cum slicked the tip of his dick, only to be washed away by the water. Eridan's curses became unintelligible noises, mingled with a few gasps and coherent words. His hand was working furiously and he leaned against the shower wall for support, climaxing with a gasp._

"_S-Sol!"_

"Eridan," Sollux growled at the same instance, gritting his teeth. A long, low moan resonated from deep within him as he came, yellow genetic material spilling over his hands and being swept down the drain with the hot water. He panted heavily as he rode out his orgasm, blissful euphoria overtaking him.

After finishing his shower, Sollux climbed into bed, spent as hell but feeling relatively good— until he realized just how hard he had fallen for Eridan. He hoped with everything he had that Eridan was considering what he asked, that he would say yes, that he had been thinking of him too.

Ultimately, he felt pretty stupid; he had proclaimed Eridan his platonic mortal enemy when they were kids, after all. But by talking to him, getting to know him after time had calmed him, saving his life twice— the twice was important— and kissing him, Sollux discovered that he was wrong about Eridan. He really wasn't so bad. At least, not anymore. He had to wonder if Eridan had felt the same spark he had felt when they kissed, even through his surprise.

He closed his eyes and hugged a spare pillow to his body tightly, envisioning Eridan by his side. It was dumb, he would admit that, but it made him miss him a little less.

—-

Friday was an agonizingly slow blur. Sollux finally finished what he had been working on and collected his pay— it was good not to be broke for once. He used some of his money to buy himself breakfast, as he hadn't eaten at all yesterday and was starving. When he was finished, he wondered if he should go to the park or something— he hadn't really left his apartment a lot before meeting Eridan again. Sure, he visited Karkat, but he lived literally a block away, so it didn't count. He threw the remains of his meal away, pocketing a few spare packets of honey.

At the park, he opened one of the saved packets and sucked out its contents idly as he strolled, not taking in his surroundings. Eridan had said he liked flowers, right?

"Shit, what kind," he muttered to himself. "Would he like roses? That's too forward, isn't it, shit. Wait, wasn't it irises, lilies, and orchids? Was there another one? Ah, fuck, what was—" He trailed off as he peered to his right, still holding the packed of honey to his lips. A small human boy was staring at him as if he had two heads.

_Okay, I get it, humans still think the horns are weird._

He waved awkwardly at the child before completely draining the packet of honey and jogging off to the florist's.

Once there, he slammed his money on the counter to get the ebony-haired florist's attention. He had wasted the whole day doing pointless shit and needed to beat Eridan to the café.

"Hey, mister, you know, the flowers have feelings too," a light, slightly miffed female voice answered, her back still turned toward him. "Maybe if you properly introduced yourself, I could help you."

Sollux took a deep breath; he didn't have time for games. "Forgive me, ma'am. I'm Sollux Captor, and I'd like to see what flowers you're selling."

"Oh, hey, Sollux!" The woman turned around to give him a bucktoothed grin, her long hair whirling behind her and her wire-framed glasses glinting in the sunlight.

"Harley?"

"Jade, Sollux. We're on first-name basis, okay?"

"Right. Anyway, I want to buy some flowers for someone."

_Wow, he sucked at this._

"Well, you've come to the right place! Whatcha looking for?"

"Uh, orchids, lilies, and irises," Sollux listed, counting them off on his fingers.

Jade quickly gathered them and arranged them into a stylish bouquet wrapped in paper. She tied the stems with a ribbon and grabbed a pen and a little white card. Sollux stopped her.

"Wait. Do you have purple?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Now then, who's this for?" Jade leaned over the counter as she pressed the pen to the new purple card.

"Um… Eridan," he answered a little louder than he intended. Feferi came out from a room in the back and set a pink vase on a shelf as Sollux awkwardly yelled his name, and turned to look at him with an expression of confusion and shock on her face.

"Oh, um, hey, Sollux," she murmured awkwardly, stepping behind Jade. "Did you say you were buying those for Eridan?" She said his name a little more quietly than the rest of the question, and Sollux realized that it was probably difficult for her to say his name after the fiasco between them about a month ago. "You got all his favorites… except for one." She disappeared into the room she came from for a few moments, then came back with an armful of purple tulips. She tucked them into the bouquet in Jade's hand— which Sollux just now realized was covered with colorful bands— with a smile. "Flowers are really nice, and Eridan loves them a whole lot. I'm sure he'll be happy to see these."

Jade tied the card with a custom message on it to the ribbon around the bouquet and tucked the ends of the stems into a tube of nutrient-rich liquid. She handed the flowers to Sollux, collected the money, and wrapped an arm absently around Feferi as she counted it. "You have a nice day, now," she called jovially to Sollux as he walked out.

"Thanks, same to you."

—-

Sollux watched the sun sink lower on the horizon, holding the bouquet in one hand and adjusting his shirt with the other. He sat on a table outside, one leg propped on a chair and the other dangling, kicking slowly back and forth. He retrieved another packet of honey from his pocket and tore it open with his teeth, eating the contents nervously as he watched the road. Even though the honey's taste helped to calm his nerves a little, his hands still trembled as he watched for Eridan's motorcycle and rehearsed what he would say in his head. He had one shot at making this perfect.

_Maybe this wasn't the right thing to wear…_

As he tossed the empty packet in the garbage, he heard the roar of a motorcycle in the distance. He jumped up and hid the flowers behind his back, taking short, shallow breaths. The motorcycle pulled into the parking lot and the rider stepped off, shaking his head when he took off his helmet.

"Eridan!"

His head turned and he ran to Sollux, colliding into him and wrapping his arms around him tightly.

"Hey, I missed you too. I've got something for you."

Eridan stepped back, putting his arms back down at his sides. "Do ya?" He sounded a little tired.

"Close your eyes," Sollux ordered. Eridan obliged with a groan as Sollux pulled the bouquet of flowers in front of him. Luckily there was still enough light to see colors. "Okay, open!"

Eridan looked at the flowers in front of his face and gasped loudly, grasping them with both hands. "Sol," he whispered, burying his nose into them, "they're beautiful!"

"I dunno if you saw the card," Sollux murmured.

Eridan grabbed it and read it aloud. "'To Princess Eridan.'" Sollux heard his voice crack as he read the card. He became nervous until he heard the soft chuckle that followed. "God, Sol, I love them."

"So, what do you say, Ed? Are we a thing now, or what?"

Eridan pulled the slightly taller troll in for another tight hug. "Yes, you determined doofus, we're a thing now."


	6. Chapter 6

As the two of them walked up to Eridan's front door, Sollux chortled loudly.

"What? What's so funny?"

"_You_," Sollux answered. "I don't understand you at all. You surprise me with looking all badass on Wednesday and then you cry over flowers. I've been worrying my ass off because I was afraid you wouldn't tell me yes, and yet again, you proved me wrong. How unpredictable can you even _get_?"

"A _lot _more than this, believe me," Eridan retorted with a smirk. "This ain't even unpredictable, Sol."

"Oh?" Sollux turned Eridan around and pressed him against the door, his eyes burning with desire. "Then, pray tell, what _is_?"

Eridan tore his eyes away from Sollux's gaze and wiggled out from under him, darting behind him and pushing him against the door with his back playfully.

Sollux yelped in surprise. "Fuck, Eridan," he chuckled breathlessly. "Alright, you win, get your ass off me."

"What if I don't wanna?"

Sollux pushed back and knocked Eridan to the ground. "_That_."

"Um, _ow_. Fuckin' _rude_."

"It's so cute when you say that."

"Shut your mouth an' help me up, you imbecile."

Sollux extended his hand for Eridan to grab and dragged him up. He hardly noticed when Eridan didn't let go of his hand.

All Sollux really noticed was the inside of Eridan's home. The place was huge, with large, atmospheric rooms and high ceilings. He saw that Eridan was taking off his shoes by the door and did the same; he probably didn't want the hardwood floors getting scuffed.

"Make yourself at home, I guess. Can I get you anythin'? Eridan blushed and looked aside awkwardly, obviously not familiar with being a host. He was trying his best, though, and Sollux had to give him credit for that. He just wrapped his arms around the violet-blooded troll in response, kissing his cheek and trying to get him to smile.

"C'mon, smile for me, babe," he crooned in his ear. "You're such a pouty princess. _Smiiiile_."

"_Mreh_." Eridan made a tiny noise in protest, but his lips twitched in spite of it. Sollux began ticking him. "Oh god, Sol! Stop, st-stop!" He laughed uncontrollably as Sollux's fingers skirted over his skin. He doubled over and grabbed at Sollux's hands, which suddenly stilled. Sollux drew close to him, tilting his head down and letting his breath wash over Eridan's neck.

"Say that again," he growled, placing a series of kisses on Eridan's neck. He let his hands run over Eridan's body as he kissed him, feeling him twitch and shiver and loving every movement he made in response to his touch.

"Oh, god, Sol," he breathed. He dropped his flowers on the soft purple couch in the living room that they had somehow made it over to and wrapped his arms around Sollux before hesitating. He took a deep breath. "Please, Sol, not yet. Please."

"But, Eridan," Sollux protested into his neck. He really only wanted to tease him a bit.

"Let me go, Sollux."

He just brought him closer, lifting his own head and looking into the other man's amethyst eyes. "Sorry, I can't really do that. You see, my arms seem to be stuck to your body." He flashed a silly grin at Eridan, who rolled his eyes with a halfhearted smile. "The only way you can get me un-stuck is if you smile for real."

Eridan thrust his purple, pointed tongue out from between his upturned lips. Sollux laughed, halfway surprised. He hadn't thought Eridan had it in him to be so lighthearted. "Make me."

"Challenge accepted."

"Did you _really _just quote one o' those dumb internet memes?"

"I'm surprised you even know what those are."

"I know a lot more than you'd think."

Sollux sat down next to Eridan's flowers and cradled him on his lap.

"Unhand me," Eridan giggled, kicking his feet in the air and wiggling in Sollux's arms.

"No chance. You're mine now. So settle down, Princess, before you hurt your flowers or your boyfriend."

Eridan stilled, not leaning into Sollux but not attempting to increase the distance between them, either. Eridan still seemed rather shy about intimacy, though, even simple things like kissing or cuddling.

_Perhaps he's just afraid of being hurt again._

Sollux understood that, and worried if he was being insensitive to Eridan's feelings by being so forward.

"Sol, lemme go, I'm hungry."

Eridan's demand brought Sollux back from the realms unexplored and he looked down at him. He didn't really want to let him go.

"Want me to order something?"

"Uh…"

"I just figured you didn't feel like cooking."

_Well, that was half of the truth._

"To be honest, I really kinda don't. What d'you have in mind?"

"Tacos."

"Fish tacos?"

"Nah, _steak _tacos."

"You eat meat besides fish?"

"You eat other foods besides honey, don't ya? Same rule applies."

"You sure you don't want pizza?"

"_Yes_."

"Augh, fine, we'll have tacos, but just because I lo— like you so much." Sollux's face burned yellow for the umpteenth time this month.

"Aww, that's sweet o' you."

"Fucking sweet as honey."

Sollux dialed the number and placed the order, Eridan still sitting in his lap. Sollux had one arm around him, pulling him close as he spoke.

"You're gonna have to let me go eventually, y'know," Eridan said once Sollux hung up.

Sollux nuzzled his neck with a contented smile on his face, making sure not to catch him with his glasses. He noted that Eridan still hadn't replaced his. "Mmm, I don't think so," he replied into the other troll's neck.

"Aw, c'mon!"

"Not happening. We will sit here and eat tacos and watch a shitty movie and cuddle and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

"What about when our food actually gets here?"

"I'll carry you to the door and you can grab it. Easy."

Sollux was true to his word. When the doorbell rang, he rose from the couch, hoisting Eridan up with him. "Are you paying?" He looked down at Eridan. He had no money left on him.

"Yeah," Eridan replied, reaching into his pocked and grabbing his wallet.

When Sollux pulled open the door, he was greeted by Tavros, who was carrying the bag with their food in it and had a confused look on his face.

"This… looks like the right address," he muttered to himself, shifting on his robotic legs. He looked up from the sheet of paper in his hand. "Oh, hey, Sollux! And… Eridan?"

"Hey, Tavros," Sollux greeted.

"Hi, Tav. New on the job?" Eridan asked cordially.

"Um, yeah. Am I at the right place?"

"Yep." Eridan handed Tavros the money and took the bag. "How are things between you an' Gam?"

"Great, actually! Gamzee's finally getting the help he needs and he'll be able to hold down a job soon. It's been rough getting here, but it's worth it."

"Yeah, Karkat said something about Gamzee getting some help, I think," Sollux piped up.

Tavros nodded. "Can I ask why you're carrying Eridan, though?"

Sollux's eyes welled up with anxiety behind his glasses; would Eridan appreciate him telling Tavros the truth?"

"Sol an' I decided to try somethin' new. That's all."

Sollux sighed in relief internally— the answer had been vague, but it was good enough for Tavros.

"Alright, well, I gotta get back to work. See you guys around!"

Eridan waved to Tavros as he drove away. Sollux carried him back inside and shut the door behind them, then sat back down on the couch. He flipped through the channels on the TV, Eridan still in his lap, until he found a movie they both liked, then cuddled Eridan close as they ate. As they sat there and casually talked about the movie they were watching, they both thought the same thing.

_I could get used to this._


	7. Chapter 7

Eridan opened his eyes to find himself leaning against a sleeping Sollux, who was pulling him close on his lap and nuzzling his face into his neck. Eridan thought that Sollux seemed rather sweet and innocent like this, contrary to the façade he generally put on. Eridan smiled to himself and wiggled out of Sollux's grasp. He stretched out, reaching up to the ceiling and standing on his tiptoes, making a small noise before letting his arms drop back down to his sides. Leaning over Sollux, Eridan brought his fingers to gently brush his cheek and then removed his bi-colored glasses, folding them up and setting them on the glass coffee table in front of the couch carefully.

Then he padded upstairs to his bedroom; sometimes even he couldn't get over how large this particular area was. There was an ornate double bed against the middle of the far wall, the black metal frame twisted into flower and vine shapes and the satin sheets shiny and purple. The plush carpet covering the floor was also purple— albeit a slightly deeper shade than the sheets on his bed— and a showy vanity was nestled against the cream-colored wall to his right. On each side of it were two doors, both some distance away from the vanity. The one on its left led to a well-stocked walk-in closet, and the one to the right led to an immense bathroom. The wall to Eridan's left was mostly a glass door leading out to a balcony with a perfect view of the ocean. Indeed, Eridan had chosen his home well. A little large for just one person, but it was pretty. And anyway, Eridan had—

"_My fish_!" He sprinted to the large tank in his room, where a number of tropical fish were poking around in the gravel at the bottom. "Oh, I'm sorry, babies, I forgot to feed you before I went away!" He got some fish food from a drawer beneath the tank and sprinkled a precise amount into the water. The fish immediately swam up and began snapping up the food. Eridan glubbed at them happily before he could stop himself.

"You still make that noise?"

Eridan jumped up, nearly knocking the tank over. "S-Sol!"

"Eridan," Sollux replied with a smirk.

"Don't fuckin' scare me like that!"

Sollux strolled up to Eridan and playfully rubbed their noses together. "Mmm, why'd you get up, baby? I was surprisingly comfortable."

"Sorry. My fish needed to eat. An' I need a shower."

"Er… yeah, I do too."

"You wanna," Eridan began, "take one here?"

Sollux made a conscious effort not to let his enthusiasm show through. He shoved his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, but secretly, they were shaking beside him. "Yeah, thanks. Could I maybe borrow a change of clothes, too? I wasn't really… planning on spending the night."

"No problem. You gonna wait out here, or…?"

Sollux swallowed hard. Was Eridan actually offering to let him shower with him?

"Uh, well… y'know… save water, shower t—"

Eridan dragged Sollux into the bathroom before he could finish his joke, then clicked the door shut behind them. Sollux let out a low whistle as he took in the room— it was actually pretty nice, with oceanic wall tiles and sandy-colored floor tiles. There was a huge tub and a large shower opposite a rather beautiful beige porcelain sink, complete with a seashell shape and similar decorative soaps. Sollux had to resist rolling his eyes. On the far side of the room, opposite the enormous tub, there was an alcove with a door, which Sollux guessed was the toilet. He noticed half-melted candles set around one side of the tub next to a small waterproof radio.

_Wait._

He walked closer to the tub.

_That's a fucking __**jacuzzi**__._

He fought down an evil chuckle and instead turned back to Eridan, his expression stoic.

Not for long, though, as his eyes came to rest on Eridan's bare back. He marveled at the beautiful curve his spine formed, his strong arms and muscular shoulder-blades. He watched Eridan work his pants off of his body at an excruciatingly slow pace, his face growing warm and his dick becoming slightly hard as they dropped to the floor. Did Eridan even remember he was standing there?

Sollux took in the sight of Eridan's amazingly smooth skin, save for a few faint scars. Except the one that went completely around his midsection, but even that was faded after all this time.

_Oh. That healed up nicely._

Sollux realized that Eridan was wearing black briefs that just barely covered his ass. He couldn't imagine a more perfect man. His scars and muscles made him seem rugged and battle-worn— hell, he probably had done his share of fighting— but his soft, smooth skin and the way he smiled, the way he pouted, showed his softer, more vulnerable side.

_Damn._

The briefs slid off of Eridan's body and Sollux swallowed hard. He realized he hadn't undressed at all yet and tugged his shirt wildly over his head.

_Relax, Sollux. It's just a shower. A quick, innocent shower._

He calmed himself down as much as he could and stripped down completely.

Eridan glanced at Sollux from behind the blurry glass door of the shower. He saw his figure quickly rid itself of the clothing enveloping it and smiled devilishly.

_Wait, Ampora. You only just began seeing him yesterday. Keep yourself in check._

He didn't have to tell himself twice, even though Sollux was surprisingly good-looking, not to mention more muscular than a typical yellowblood. Especially one that didn't do much else but sit at computers; it led him to wonder if he preferred using his psionic powers only for things he couldn't normally lift. Either that, or whenever he felt lazy, Eridan guessed.

Sollux stepped into the shower with him and clicked the door shut as Eridan turned on the jet of water. It was unexpectedly hot, and made Sollux gasp a little bit.

"Does it hurt, Sol?" Eridan asked, now concerned that his preferred water temperature was too hot for Sollux.

"No, no, it's nice," he sighed contentedly, inching closer to Eridan's naked body in order to let the water run over his back.

Eridan grabbed Sollux's face suddenly, tilting it downward slightly and crashing their mouths together, forcing his yellow-blooded boyfriend's lips and teeth to part and thrusting his own delicately pointed, purple tongue in. Sollux made a small noise in surprise, then returned his passion with equal enthusiasm, swirling his own golden, forked tongue around Eridan's. Sollux pulled him close, ever-so-slightly digging his nails into his soft skin, making Eridan sigh into his mouth. Sollux felt Eridan's heart pounding in his chest as he drew him even closer, letting the water rush over them both. Eridan wrapped his arms around Sollux's neck and pulled away to pant heavily; he had forgotten how to breathe during the kiss.

"Holy shit, Eridan—"

"Shut up," he growled between pants, "an' kiss me again."

Sollux obliged, yanking Eridan's face to his own and running his tongue over Eridan's lips before pressing them together again. Eridan hummed contentedly when he felt the pressure return to his mouth.

Sollux whispered against his lips, "Do you like that?"

"If heaven exists, I've fuckin' found it," Eridan murmured softly, his hair getting weighed down by the water and falling into his eyes. Sollux brushed his bangs from his face before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

—-

Eridan pulled a fresh change of clothes on after their shower, running his tongue over his lips and still feeling the presence of Sollux's there.

"Babe, c'mere and help me go through all these damn clothes so I can find something to wear."

Eridan ambled into his closet to see Sollux holding a towel around his waist and intentionally brushed against his bare skin as he reached up to find some clothes that were slightly long on him. He felt goose bumps form on Sollux's arm and smiled to himself; then, he handed the clothes to him.

"I'll be waitin' outside if you need me," Eridan stated, placing a soft kiss on Sollux's cheek. He nodded in response, but Eridan had already turned and left.

Sollux thought a bit as he pulled on Eridan's clothes— surprisingly not a hipster outfit that made him look like a complete tool. He had to wonder how long this would last, how long they could go without having a falling-out. Eridan seemed to have a completely different attitude around Sollux: happy, giddy, and lacking the general vanity-slash-douchebaggery that he was notorious for; however, he couldn't help but think that Eridan was hiding things from him. Dark secrets he wouldn't tell him until he was ready to, if at all, and Sollux felt, in the back of his mind, that Eridan wouldn't go out of his way to tell him anything if he could help it.

_Which could be a problem._

He knew enough about relationships to know that lack of communication was deadly to them, and mused over how to casually start a conversation like that as he zipped up the borrowed jeans. He ran out of the closet to see Eridan leaning casually over the balcony's rail, glancing at Novi Orbis' crystal-blue ocean and diamond sand.

"E-Ed?" Sollux called nervously as he slid the glass door that separated them open.

Eridan turned around at the sound of Sollux's voice. "Hm? You alright, Sol?"

"Yeah. Just," he started. "Listen, if you ever have to tell me something, just tell me, alright?"

_Augh, that was a little more blunt than intended._

"Don't hide things from me," he continued. "I swear things will be much smoother between us if we don't keep any secrets."

Eridan's eyes dimmed noticeably and Sollux felt an unpleasant chill run down his spine. Was he hiding something? Sollux took both of Eridan's hands in his own, but Eridan just looked down in response, causing Sollux to follow his gaze and gasp at what met his eyes.

"Eridan, baby, _no_," he choked out softly before he could stop himself. Instead of seeing unmarked wrists and forearms, Sollux saw that they were covered in scars left from many instances where it seemed like Eridan bit or cut into his own skin. On his left arm, words like "failure," "filth," and "loser" were just barely visible. Sollux brought Eridan's scarred arms to his lips and kissed them tenderly all over, transparent yellow tears dripping from his eyes for the first time in ages.

"Sol, don't cry…"

Sollux didn't respond with anything other than more kisses to his arms and wrists.

"Sol, I—"

"Don't _ever_," he started, pausing to kiss Eridan's left wrist, "do this—" he moved up his arm— "to yourself—" another gentle kiss— "again."

Eridan fell silent, cheeks flushed in shame. He really had made some stupid choices in his life, hadn't he?

"Nothing is worth causing yourself this pain, Eridan. Absolutely _nothing_."

Eridan jerked his arms away abruptly and violently, suddenly enraged. "_Nothin_? Says _you_! Were you fuckin' rejected by everyone you met when all you wanted was a fuckin' _friend_? _Huh_? No, you had Ara an' Kar an' Kan an' Ter an' Fef an' you know who I had? Fuckin' _no one_! An' the part that hurts the most is that I'm the only one to fuckin' blame! It was my own fault everyone hated bein' around me! Just… just fuckin' go home, Sollux." Eridan shoved him away and stormed inside, exiting his room and eventually slamming a door shut deep in his house, somewhere on the first floor.

Sollux ran down the stairs and out the front door, then around the side of Eridan's house until he found a window leading to the room Eridan was sulking in. He opened it and climbed in quietly before coming up to Eridan and holding him close, raising a violent reaction from him— specifically, he began flailing wildly and smacking Sollux in the chest.

"Let me go, you fuckin'—"

"Eridan, listen to me, baby," Sollux began, holding him tightly despite his protests, "I know you've been hurt and abandoned a lot, but I want you to know that things are different now. I know what it's like to lose someone close to you, and I don't want it to happen with us, either." At that, Eridan stilled, leaning into Sollux's embrace. "There you go," he muttered softly, rubbing Eridan's back gently in order to calm him. "You've come a long way, huh?"

A cold, mirthless chuckle spilled from Eridan's chest. "I like to think that sometimes, but in the end, I'm just the same selfish, haughty asshole I've always been."

"I really think you're wrong."

Eridan peered into Sollux's golden eyes, confused. "What makes you say that? Gimme one reason I'm better than how I used to be."

"For one thing, the Eridan I knew wouldn't have admitted that he was the problem, not everyone else. I don't mean to hurt you by saying this, but your attitude and beliefs made you really unlikable. But… you're different now. You really seem to know that you were wrong in many ways, you seem to regret your mistakes, and you seem to want to fix the things you've broken. These things in themselves make you a hell of a lot better than how you used to be. So don't ever forget that, alright?

"I'm here for you now, and I'm sorry for being one of the number that drove you to this, to hate yourself so much that you would feel the need to show it on your skin. I was just as terrible as you, only for different reasons. But, those days are over now, and I'll try my best to help you through this, honey. I fucking swear on my life that I'll _never _let you reach this low point again.

"And you don't have to worry about me being 'just like the others,' either," Sollux added. "I won't leave you like them. You deserve so much better than that."

Eridan let tiny, strangled noises escape from his throat, sounds that fell somewhere between sobs and words.

"Shhh," Sollux ordered, pressing his lips to Eridan's for what seemed to be the millionth time that morning. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of how soft his lips were, how sweet his breath tasted, how beautiful his facial features were— hell, everything about him was stunning— and he especially wouldn't grow tired of his breathtaking, hypnotic, violet eyes.

Sollux pulled away gently to allow them to breathe; he has lost track of the moments his lips were on top of Eridan's while deep in his own thoughts. All he knew was, at some point and without his realizing it, one of Eridan's hands had tangled itself in his damp hair, and the other was gripping his shirt tightly, directly between his shoulder-blades. Sollux smelled something else mixed in with Eridan's pleasant— and admittedly, slightly feminine— scent: salt. He used his thumb to gently wipe the area below Eridan's eyes.

"Baby, it's okay. You'll be okay. God, you're a fucking wreck, but I swear you'll be alright now."

"I know, I know I am," Eridan blubbered in response, "I know I'm a wreck."

"The important part is that you'll be okay though," Sollux reiterated. "I'll make sure you're alright. No one will ever hurt my princess again, and that includes me."

Eridan leaned his head against Sollux's shoulder, and Sollux swayed gently back and forth, trying to soothe not only his boyfriend, but himself as well. Eridan's shaky breaths slowed to a relatively normal tempo after a short time, and he smiled softly and apologetically at Sollux.

"Sorry for the scare, Sol. Can I make it up to you somehow?"

"Well," Sollux drawled, "you _could _make breakfast."


	8. Chapter 8

After breakfast, Eridan and Sollux found themselves sprawled on the couch in the living room, Eridan's head resting on Sollux's stomach. For the first time in a long time, Sollux felt healthy, albeit slightly overfull.

"Eridan, I had no idea you could cook," he gushed.

"Well, you never asked."

Sollux stretched out lazily, arching his spine, then flopping back down onto the single long, soft, purple cushion and draping one arm over Eridan's back. "Glad I did now, though. Do you know what it's like living off of shitty takeout, TV dinners, and microwaveable mashed potatoes?"

"What would you ever do without me?" Eridan teased, walking his index and middle fingers up Sollux's torso. Eridan's head rose and fell slightly as Sollux breathed peacefully. His long-nailed fingers— holy hell, did Eridan have a fucking manicure— tickled Sollux's skin beneath his borrowed shirt and he smiled, running his own hand along a short distance up and down Eridan's back.

"Same thing I've done the past eight years."

"Oh, you mean nothin'?"

"N-no!" Sollux hesitated. "Yes."

Eridan chuckled, earning himself a playful jab in the back.

"Ow! _Rude_."

"Whoops, my hand slipped."

"I detest you."

"No, you don't."

"I really don't. You are annoying though."

"Oh, _please_, baby, you know you couldn't live without me."

Eridan just ran his index finger along Sollux chest in a spiral shape, a lazy smile on his face. "You jerk, I had shit to do today."

"Get up, then."

"T'ch, nope."

Sollux paused. "Put on the TV, Ed."

"Say please."

"Fuck you."

"Say it or the remote is _mine_."

"Fine. Please," Sollux whined, purposefully dragging out the word.

Eridan propped his chin on Sollux's stomach and smiled at him. "I've got a better idea. How 'bout we go to the beach, Sol?"

"Ed, I don't feel like moving right now." It was true; Sollux was incredibly comfortable on Eridan's couch, the beautiful man laying on top of him, smiling up at him. "We'll go later, hmm?"

Eridan moved up Sollux's body and rested his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he handed him the remote.

"Hey, Ed?"

"Yeah?"

Sollux pressed his lips to Eridan's silken, black hair. "Thanks."

"For what, though?"

"Mmn, everything. Being so beautiful. Not doing anything stupid the nights I came and got you. Saying yes. Everything."

Eridan didn't say anything in response, but he sighed contentedly, snuggling against Sollux and pulling a light blanket over them.

A while later, during a commercial, Sollux gently prodded Eridan's back to get his attention. The violetblood looked groggily up into his golden eyes.

"Were you sleeping?"

"'S a catnap," he muttered, pressing his ear back against Sollux's chest. He chuckled and kissed his hair once more before turning his head to watch the sci-fi movie on TV.

"Sweet dreams, babe."

—-

Once Sollux's movie was over and his ass was sufficiently numb, he shook Eridan awake and turned off the TV.

"No," Eridan whined softly, burying his face into Sollux's shirt and sleepily taking in his scent.

"C'mon, rise and shine, princess. You wanted to go to the beach, right?"

He kneaded Sollux's torso with his fingertips as he stretched out, causing him to grunt.

"Ach, _easy_!"

"Mmm, sorry," Eridan muttered, moving up and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips in apology. Sollux accepted by returning it with a smile.

"It's fine, you lazy bastard."

"M'not lazy."

"Are too."

"Nuh-_uh_."

Sollux laughed at Eridan's groggy protesting. "Eridan, you're ten, not two. Stop acting like a wriggler."

Eridan rolled from on top of Sollux to the floor, crying out in surprise at the impact, and Sollux snorted in response.

—-

Eridan browsed the selection of wines he owned, looking for something romantic to take on what was technically their second date. He settled for a nice honey wine. Hopefully Sollux would like that.

Sollux couldn't refrain from wandering into the kitchen when he smelled Eridan's cooking, but it merely earned him being shooed out of the room and sent upstairs to find a blanket and a cooler. He decided a bit of snooping couldn't hurt while he looked. He rooted through the small drawer on one of the nightstands by Eridan's bed and found some papers with fancy script on them. He pocketed a few of them and stuffed the blanket into the cooler. He'd read them later.

"Sol, come taste this," Eridan called from the stove. He jogged down the stairs to see Eridan with a fork in his right hand, left one cupped beneath it.

"What is it?" Sollux asked, drawing closer. He opened his mouth and Eridan eased the fork in, the various tastes of honey, chicken, various spices, a little mayonnaise, celery, and apples flooding his senses. He closed his mouth around it and felt the fork being slowly taken from his mouth, leaving that delightful concoction on his tongue. "Oh my g—"

"Swallow first, then talk."

Sollux obliged, cheeks burning at the realization that he had forgotten his manners. "That's so fucking good!"

"Glad you like it," Eridan responded, a proud smile on his face.

"I will forever be surprised that you can cook." Sollux paused, remember something he was going to ask hours ago. "That room we were in earlier… were those your paintings in it?"

"Wha— oh, _those_! Yeah, they're mine, but they ain't wonderful."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Eridan! Those paintings were awesome!" In reality, it seemed like Eridan had gotten good at so much over the years.

"Did you find the cooler an' spare blanket okay?" Eridan asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah. Why are you suddenly so organized? Last I remember, you were someone who was notorious for having piles of everything everywhere."

"Shit got in the way," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, if you ever need to j— talk about how you're feeling, I'm here now."

"Same goes for you," Eridan responded; he wasn't even looking up from his cooking, so Sollux gently turned him around.

"And I mean _anything_."

"Relax, Sol. I will."

—-

Eridan always felt alive when the smell of salt air filled his noise. Even if his gills didn't function as well as they could have, it never stopped him from feeling at home in the water. He and Sollux spread out the blanket and stripped to their boxers.

"Ed, I'unno about thi—" Sollux was cut off by Eridan sprinting into the ocean and diving into a wave a little ways offshore. When he came back up, he shook his head, diamond droplets of water beading on his skin and flying off of his hair, shimmering in the sunlight.

"C'mon, Sol," he called, waving frantically from his location and jumping with an oncoming wave. Sollux tentatively waded to Eridan. "Relax, you ain't gonna drown."

"I'm not scared," Sollux protested. "I haven't been swimming in a long time, that's all."

Eridan ducked under the water, his gills fluttering out on both sides. They didn't take in all that much oxygen, but he still found the oceans of Novi Orbis overwhelming. The clean water and diverse life forms fascinated him to no end. He suddenly felt a pair of hands drag him up and his gills closed.

—-

After swimming for a few hours, they reclined on their blanket, fully dried off and dressed and smiling contentedly as they talked. Eridan sat up and took out their food and wine, carefully pouring two glasses and handing one to Sollux.

"Thank you, honey," Sollux chuckled, sipping the mead from the glass.

"You like it?"

Sollux nodded in response. "Mhm, it's good. Normally when I drink, it's just cheap-ass beer with Karkat, Strider, Terezi, and Egbert. I never get anything like this."

"Me either. Normally it's whiskey or gin or vodka for me, but I usually never get good wine. I save it for special occasions."

"Like this?" Sollux grinned over his wine glass, running his tongue over his protruding teeth that were the cause of the lisp Eridan had come to adore; he would never admit that, though.

"Yeah. Like this."

—-

The sun hung low in the sky as the two of them laid next to each other, the now-empty bottle and glasses spread haphazardly on the blanket and their heads clouded with alcohol. Their foreheads were pressed together and their faces were flushed. Soft chuckles bubbled up from them periodically as Sollux's hands traveled along Eridan's body, playing with his fly but not unzipping it.

"Do you want me, Eridan?" Sollux growled, lifting Eridan's shirt and running his fingertips along the scar across his midsection.

"I fuckin' want you bad, I want you _bad_, Sol," Eridan slurred.

Sollux kissed Eridan hard, taking in the alcohol-laced taste of his breath. Eridan pushed against him, rolling on top of him and clawing at his shirt. He was grinding his hips against Sollux and getting ready to thrust his tongue into his mouth when Sollux pulled away.

"Wait," he whispered, "someone's coming."

He took Eridan's falter as a cue to regain control, flipping Eridan over and engulfing his mouth with his own. Eridan made a small, needy noise and wrapped himself around Sollux, pressing up against him and feeling his forked tongue teasing his own. In his drunken bliss, the only two people in the universe were himself and Sollux, no one else existed, no one else mattered. He dug his nails into his back, pushing against him and staring directly into his clouded, golden eyes.

"I do enjoy being near the water. It makes me feel _strong_."

"Yes, I enjoy the ocean, too, Equius. Especially since there are lots of shells!"

Sollux barely heard the voices of Equius and Aradia; he was captivated by Eridan's mouth, his eyes, his noises, his taste. He just knew that their presence meant that they needed to keep themselves in control.

"Sol," Eridan murmured against his lips, panting heavily as they broke apart.

"Sollux?"

Oh man.

"Uh, hey, Aradia. Equius," Sollux greeted, shakily sitting up and face bright yellow, not only from exhilaration and alcohol, but embarrassment. Eridan rolled over and pouted, upset that he had to break apart from Sollux prematurely. He felt his hand touch his back and he sat up, leaning into Sollux's figure.

"_Eridan_?"

"Don't sound so fuckin' surprised."

Aradia looked back and forth at the both of them, a laugh bursting from her as she tried to comprehend the sight before her. This upset Eridan and he stood, swaying a bit, and stumbled off angrily.


	9. Chapter 9

Sollux knew better than to chase after him right away, so he stayed and conversed with Aradia and, although rather awkwardly, Equius.

Eridan's rage-filled screaming in the distance caught his attention and he dashed in the direction it sounded from. "Eridan?" he called.

"Oh, look, your knight in shining armor is here to save you. You never _could _fight for yourself, Ampora."

"Shut your fuckin' mouth!" Sollux heard someone being shoved hard. "I'll have you know I could fight you an' win anytime, anywhere!"

"Ed, _no_!" Sollux cried, bursting through the brush and staring first at him, then at the figure across from him.

"_You_?" Vriska snorted. "It's _you _of all people that would come to rescue _this _raving douchebag?"

"Hemospectrum or no hemospectrum, I'm still _worlds _better than you'll ever be, Serket," Eridan growled, desperately wishing he had his gun on him. He'd end this miserable woman's existence right here. "There are bein's who shouldn't be permitted to breathe."

"Who made _you _the authority on that sort of thing?"

Sollux watched as the two drew ever closer, not sensing any black passion between them, just pure platonic rage.

"You wouldn't _dare _hit a lady."

"I see no lady here, just a bitch who don't know when to keep her trap shut." With that, Eridan grabbed her collar and dragged her up to eye level. She could smell the mead on his breath and smirked.

"You're drunk."

"I'm sober enough to think straight, an' you sure as hell wouldn't like what I'm thinkin' o'. We settle this. _**Now**_." He threw her to the ground and stormed for a short distance before reaching his ship. Sollux tagged along, feeling more powerless by the minute. Suddenly, Eridan turned, grabbing Sollux's shoulders and kissing him hard. "Stay here, Sol. Only one o' us is comin' back from this in one piece, an I'm makin' sure it'll be me."

Sollux swallowed hard, unable to speak, unable to breathe.

"Stay at my place." He handed Sollux the keys just as Vriska appeared, then climbed aboard his ship and fastened a cape on with a cold, menacing glare that was made even more frightening by the increasing darkness and lack of the glasses he had never truly needed.

"Board yer ship, wench, an' prepare for a battle th' likes o' which this world has never seen!"

Sollux glanced up from the keys in his hand in surprise. Eridan's accent had become fully apparent at last. The darkness made him look like nothing more than a silhouette and the wind caused his cape to whip behind him. Seeing him at the helm in all of his glory made Sollux's heart pound. He had to wonder why Eridan wasn't fighting Vriska on land, though.

"Hoist the anchor, imbeciles," he heard her bark, probably to illegal Carapacian servants.

"Give her hell, baby," he muttered under his breath as the ships departed, holding Eridan's keys tightly in his hand. "Give her hell."

—-

Eridan called out the small Carapacian crew that had been living on his ship.

"Captain?" One of them gaped at him in disbelief.

"No time, man th' helm! You!" He pointed to a second crew member. "Get in th' crow's nest, alert me the _moment _Serket's crew even _looks _about t' strike." He held Ahab's Crosshairs at his hip. "We'll be ready."

"Keep an eye on that son of a bitch!" Vriska screamed at the servants on her ship. "Attack when he's got his guard down!"

_This ex-kismesis of mine ain't as spineless as he used to be._

Vriska was ready to leap onto Eridan's ship and ambush him with not only a blade, but her dice if the need arose. As her ship drew near enough and she jumped, she was met with Eridan's pointy-toothed smirk. "_**Fuck**_!" She drew the blade after landing on the deck, swinging at him. He blocked the blows this the harpoon end of his rifle, the clashing of their weapons ringing into the night.

"Just like old times, eh, Ampora?"

"Not even close, ya psycho." He leapt back and fired his rifle, hitting Vriska in the arm not holding the sword. She swung furiously at him, slicing his gills on one side and causing him to cry out in pain. Violet blood spilled onto the wooden deck. "_Shit_," he hissed. He fired shots madly at her, the fighting continuing well into the night and the deck of Eridan's ship becoming a sea of cerulean and violet. As the red dawn began to break, Eridan limped to where Vriska laid in a pool of blood. He snatched her blade and used it to lift her shirt so that her stomach was visible; then he pressed the blade to her skin, carving his sign into it and raising loud cries of pain from her. "Don't dare forget who conquered whom on this night," he panted, blood seeping from the various wounds on his body. "Don't forget that Eridan Ampora was the one who carved these waves." He seized the Fluorite Octet, and picked up her body, tossing it to one of her slaves on her own ship that had managed to stay nearby. Afterwards, he grimaced and tore off a piece of his cape, pressing it to the gaping wound on his side that was still pouring violet liquid and throbbing in time with his elevated heartbeat. "Get me a clean towel," he murmured to a member of his crew, "an' tell th' one at th' helm t' go back t' shore." Eridan leaned against the mainmast. "Sol's gonna be _pissed_."

—-

Sollux paced the shore late in the morning, watching for Eridan with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He had seen Vriska's ship come in hours ago, Prospitians carrying her body frantically to some destination. Sollux had caught a glimpse of a pair of waves carved into her abdomen, coagulated cerulean fluid making it ever prominent. But it wasn't the reassurance Sollux needed.

An hour or two passed before Sollux spotted a ship on the horizon, and when he saw that it was Eridan's, his heart leapt.

"Boys, we've had a good run together, but this is where we part ways," Sollux heard him saying as his ship reached close to the dock.

_Something's not right with his voice…_

"Captain, you're delirious!"

"Nay, I've never been more lucid. I can handle thin's from here."

"But what of future sea battles? Please, captain!"

"Yes," another voice piped up, "your ship will fall into disrepair with no one to take care of it!"

"You're too kind," Eridan replied, his civilized manner returning. "Alright. You can stay."

"Eridan!"

He glanced over the edge of his ship, his bloodied face lighting up as much as it could at the sight of Sollux.

"Sol," he uttered tiredly. The crew let down a ramp after dropping anchor, and Eridan limped to him.

Sollux's spirits sunk as he took in the sight of Eridan: his torn and tattered clothes, the blood he was coated in, his numerous wounds, and the violet-stained towel he was clutching to his side.

"Oh my god," he breathed.

"It's alright, Sol, ain't much more than a couple o' scratches."

"No, no, no, no, Eridan, let me see it."

He reluctantly peeled away the towel to reveal his slashed gills, swollen and sickly purple, weeping pus and fluttering aimlessly, functionless. "Crew said they might be infected."

"What '_might'_? They _are_! Your fucking bravado got you fucked up yet again!" Sollux screamed. Eridan didn't even flinch, and Sollux's glare softened. "Let's get you cleaned up. I'm just thankful you're alive."


	10. Chapter 10

Eridan hissed at the heat of the washcloth Sollux was using to clean his wounds.

"_Easy_!"

"I don't want you to get any more infected wounds. Bear with me, it'll be over before you know it."

Eridan bit his lip as Sollux reapplied the cloth and cried out when it came in contact with his infected gills.

"It's okay," Sollux reassured him, "don't be such a baby after what you did last night."

"Ain't… ain't a fuckin' baby."

"Then sit still. Why the hell won't you let someone look at it?"

"It really ain't that bad, Sol. I don't need someone analyzin' every fuckin' little injury I get."

Sollux sighed exasperatedly. It was no use arguing with Eridan while he was so feverish and ornery. "At least get some sleep," he said, wringing out the washcloth. "I'll bring you to bed." He wrapped an arm cautiously around Eridan, who was dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers to make it easier to clean his wounds, and supported him as they walked to his bed, wrapping his gill wound in a makeshift bandage.

"You ain't leavin', are you?"

"No, no, I'll be here when you wake up," Sollux mumbled as Eridan's eyes slid closed. He pulled out his phone.

_**kk.**_

_**OH GOD, WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?**_

_**you know 2omethiing about mediiciine, right?**_

_**NOT MUCH, BUT SOME. WHY?**_

_**ii need you two come look at a wound.**_

_**WERE YOU HURT? GOD FUCKING DAMN IT, SOLLUX, DO I SERIOUSLY HAVE TO FUCKING BABYSIT YOU? BECAUSE IF I HAVE TO, I WILL. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE VICE OF MY AUTHORITATIVE CLAWS. YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF COMPLETELY FUCKING ENSNARED IN THEM.**_

_**no, iit wa2n't me, you dumba22, don't fliip your 2hiit.**_

_**OH.**_

_**THEN WHO WAS IT? WHO COULD BE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT YOU WOULD EMERGE FROM YOUR SELFISH SHELL IN I-DON'T-GIVE-A-FUCK-ABOUT-ANYONE-BUT-MYSELF LAND AND ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING?**_

_**ii'll ignore that blatant pot2hot. iit'2 ed.**_

_**WHAT.**_

Sollux grimaced, trying to focus on Eridan's soft snoring and ignore his brewing migraine.

_**ERIDAN?**_

_**ye2.**_

_**NO FUCKING WAY! NO WAY IN HELL AM I HELPING THAT IGNORANT PILE OF ROTTED CAVIAR.**_

_**ed ii2n't really 2o bad anymore, kk. he'2 tolerable now, two 2ay the lea2t.**_

_**NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.**_

_**NOPE.**_

_**NO.**_

_**pleeeeeeeeeea2e?**_

_**UGH. FINE. I'LL BE THERE SOON. YOU FUCKING OWE ME, CAPTOR.**_

_**briing egbert.**_

—-

"He had _better _be fucking dying," Karkat growled at Sollux as he opened the door.

"He may as well be. C'mon. He's not a pretty sight."

"When is that walking heap of bentic sludge _ever _a pretty sight?"

John snickered in spite of himself as they followed Sollux to Eridan's bedroom door. The three of them could hear delirious mumbling coming from inside. Sollux opened the door slowly. "Ed?"

"Sol…"

"It's alright. Are you bleeding again?"

"Don't know. Are those doctors?" Eridan blinked blearily.

"No, it's just E— John and Karkat. They're just going to look."

"Hey, Assbutt," Karkat muttered, unable to think of anything worse to call the injured troll once he laid eyes on him.

Sollux twisted his head to look at Karkat with a stare of complete and utter confusion. "'_Assbutt_?' Seriously, KK? _Seriously_?"

"Shut up, Captor, god damn."

"Eridan, I'm just going to take the dressing off, okay? I've had years of medical training on Septimo Mens, so don't worry." John pulled off the towel, which was sticky with congealing blood and pus. He made a small noise at the sight of the wound, which was now extremely swollen, then reached into his bag and pulled out a flask of cold, transparent liquid. "This is going to sting," he warned.

Eridan felt Sollux's hand slip into his own. His vision became white as John poured the liquid onto the wound. He screamed and arched his back up, his voice reaching an incredibly high pitch; at the same instance, he squeezed Sollux's hand hard enough to raise a hiss from him. Disease poured from Eridan's wound onto the towel beneath him, and John put the flask away, exchanging it for a syringe. When Eridan's vision returned, he caught sight of it and tried to wiggle away.

"_No_!_ No, __**fuck **__no_! Don't get near me with that fuckin' thing," Eridan screamed. Sollux held him still and looked away as John pricked his arm with it and pushed the top down, letting the anesthesia it contained flow through his veins. Eridan quickly stopped screaming and squirming, his breathing becoming peaceful.

"Karkat, I need you to run to the hospital and get me a couple bags of violet blood. He's lost quite a bit, it seems, and he'll be losing more. Sollux, can you cover a table with plastic for me? I'll need to move Eridan to one."

"Yeah, Ed has a huge dining room table you can use," Sollux explained, jogging down the stairs. Karkat scoffed and muttered as he followed, leaving through the front door.

—-

John laid Eridan on the covered table, a bag of blood attached to one limp arm and Sollux clinging to the other. John had brought some surgeon's attire and handed everyone masks and a pair of gloves.

_Why didn't you just let me take you to the hospital?_

"I'll have to cut out part of his gills and stitch the wound after cleaning up the infection a bit. He'll be in intense pain for a while, and his gills on this side will be completely and permanently useless." John worked diligently, talking a very nervous Sollux through every cut he made, every bit of flesh he removed. He sterilized the wound once before sewing it closed and once after, causing Eridan to twitch slightly, even through his heavy sedation. He changed the bag of blood and told Sollux to carefully carry him back to bed, which, thanks to a very reluctant Karkat, now had fresh sheets. Sollux laid him down gently and placed the rack holding his IV on the side of the bed, then covered him with his violet satin blanket, arranging the pillows around him to ensure that he would be as comfortable as possible.

"I'll go and pick up the medications he's going to need, and I'll be back from time to time to check on him. He's going to be a little groggy when he wakes up. Karkat will be here to remove th—"

"No, I won't, Egbert, I'm going the fuck home. _Someone _needs to take care of that thing you call a daughter."

"Ehh… Alright," John muttered.

"I'll do it, it's pretty easy," Sollux said. "I'm going to be here anyway. Someone has to stay with him."

"If you're sure. I'll be back in a while, then."

"This was a fucking waste of my precious time," Karkat murmured under his breath. "I could have been doing something _productive_, but no. I have to spend time with these three asshats."

"Karkat, you have to spend time with me anyway," John chuckled as they left.

Sollux stayed beside Eridan and played with his fingers, caressing them, intertwining his own with them. His slow, labored breathing told Sollux that the anesthesia was beginning to wear off.

John returned with the medications long before Eridan awoke, though.

"Alright," he began, handing several bottles to Sollux, "this is a strong painkiller, it's going to make him tired and a little dopey, and these are antibiotics to clear up that infection and to stop a new one from forming. He's not going to be useful for much over the next couple of weeks, and he might say some… odd things. I'll be back next week to check on him. Call me or take him to the hospital if he gets worse."

"Thanks," was all Sollux could say.

John smiled and left for the second time.

"Are you going to be a good patient and take these, Ed?" Sollux mumbled, knowing full well that Eridan couldn't answer him. Instead, he just moved closer and played with Eridan's fingers again.

—-

Eridan's eyes fluttered open, excruciating pain filling his side. He tried to move, but it hurt far too much.

"Stay still," Sollux reprimanded sharply, not looking up from Eridan's fingers.

"Sol?" Eridan asked, the word slurred from the aftereffects of the sedative.

"Good job, you remembered my name, Sleeping Beauty. Listen, you need to take these medications, alright? They'll make your pain a little more bearable."

Eridan began to argue, but Sollux silenced him and handed him three pills and a glass of water. He took them and then rested his head against Sollux's chest. "Sol, I'm sleepy."

"It's the anesthesia, you'll be fine. The painkiller's going to make you tired too, and John said you won't be able to do very much. But I'll take good care of you, don't you worry."

Eridan made a small noise and pressed his face into Sollux's shirt. Sollux began humming in order to soothe both Eridan and his own nerves. Eridan's large home had sunlight streaming in through the windows that seemed to be everywhere, but even with this, the owner of the house next to him, and his own humming, he still found the place eerily quiet and desolate, unsettling, even. They stayed like this for what felt like eons but couldn't have been more than twenty minutes when Eridan cut him off.

"Sol," he started, sounding extremely out-of-it already, "I love you _sooooo _much." He shifted up and stretched out his arms as far as they could go to prove his point. "_This _much." Then he fell back against Sollux.

"Sure you do, Ed," he sighed. It must have been the painkiller talking. _Must _have been. He wouldn't have said something like that otherwise, would he?

_Could we even call it love?_

_No, it's got to be way, __**way **__too soon for something like that._

"Do you love meeee, Sol?" Eridan nuzzled against him, then looked up at him with delirious puppy-dog eyes. Sollux gathered him close and buried his face— which fit perfectly between his wavy horns— into his silken black hair. The yellow tears came slowly, silently at first. His body shook with the sobs he was trying to restrain, but when one broke through, the rest followed. Soon, he was quivering and crying loudly into Eridan's hair, internally thanking the Signless and whatever other deities that may have existed that Eridan was alive, even if the painkiller made him a useless, delirious mess. Sollux couldn't say anything to Eridan, but he felt him softly pat his chest and then drift back off to sleep against it.

Sollux _wanted _to believe with whatever husk of a soul he had inside him that when he had said that, he truly meant it. But he just couldn't bring himself to when it fell from the mouth of a drugged-up Eridan. He had only said it because of the influence of the painkiller, of this Sollux was certain. This hurt him to think about, but he couldn't delude himself. And either way, drugged or not, Eridan probably didn't love Sollux as much as Sollux loved him— as much as he had loved him for a long time. If he felt that way at _all_. For all Sollux knew, Eridan had probably only agreed to be with him to kill time. And he was pretty sure Eridan was the type to do that, despite anything he had said before. He seemed so much more organized than Sollux, so well put-together; sure, he had his own share of issues, and even if right now he was sleeping, loopy, _utterly fucking useless_, he was still better off. In spite of all that had happened, he was still better than him, and Sollux hated it. But most of all, he hated himself because he couldn't hate Eridan for it.

That day, Sollux Captor cried longer and harder— had shown more raw emotion for another being— than he had in an extremely long time.


End file.
